


true love comes quietly

by ottermo



Series: As Prompted [51]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 16:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13884687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: George and Mary’s first date might have been a bit of a cliché, but George wouldn’t change the memory of that evening for the world.





	true love comes quietly

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Week 3, Day 1 of the Humans 4-Week Challenge. The prompt was “First Date”. 
> 
> Refers to some angsty themes like illness and (canonical) death.

There was a new film on at the local cinema. A romance movie. George couldn’t remember the title offhand, but he’d seen a poster for it, and it looked like it might be bearable. He mentioned it to Mary while he was walking her home from work, one Friday night. 

She smiled. “I think I know the one you’re thinking of. And I think I know why you don’t remember the title.”  
He looked at her in surprise. “You do?”  
Mary giggled. “Yes. It’s called _Love Story_.”

“Oh,” he said, intelligently. “Well, that is a bit generic, you gotta admit.”

“I can only assume they’ve done it on purpose,” Mary commented. “Either ironically… or because they think they’re going to redefine the genre.” 

He nodded. “One of those two, for sure.”

He paused for a few steps, summoning the courage. “You want to find out which it is?” 

She tried to look unruffled by the question, but George noticed with some satisfaction that her eyes lit up, and widened a little. “You and me?” she asked. “George Millican, are you asking me on a date?” 

“Mary Havers, I believe I am.” 

Her smile grew bigger and brighter.

“Then I’m delighted to accept. But when?” 

“Next Friday?” he suggested, willing his heart to be still, lest she hear it pounding with the joy and relief of having gotten the asking over with. “There’s a showing at seven.” 

“Sounds good to me,” said Mary, and it was.

After the event, they still weren’t entirely decided on whether the title of the film had been ironic or redefining - they could only agree that it had been far too depressing for a Friday night.

But they’d definitely resolved, each separately in their hearts, to go on a second date with the other. Once they made those resolutions known, the second date quickly yielded place to a third, a fourth, a fifth, and then on through two years of happy courtship. George didn’t quite know if their outings should still be counted as dates once they were married, and thus no longer “dating” in the way such a word was usually meant. He mentioned it to Mary while they were walking home from the shop, one Friday night. 

She smiled. “I think we can still call them dates, yes. We’re not over the hill yet, Mr Millican, or were you implying otherwise?”

“Of course not,” he said. “Sorry, Mrs Millican.” He gave her a sly wink. 

She laughed. “None of that, please. Don’t you remember? _Love means never having to say you’re sorry._ ” 

Decades later, when not even the faintest detail of the plot remained in his memory, George could still recite those words. Even after he’d forgotten the title of the movie all over again, the line they’d heard on their very first date stayed with him. 

It wasn’t entirely true, of course, even though their own love story had ended up reflecting the lives of those characters far more closely and painfully than they could ever have imagined. By the time that had played out, there were some things about love that made George deeply sorry, to the core of his being. But that first date with Mary would never be one of them. 

They hadn’t redefined the genre, not in any broad sense that could be noticed from the outside. They’d redefined each other, though, and for that George was grateful, eternally.


End file.
